Steam Not Coming To Linux

dkd903 writes "A rumor has been going around for about four months that Valve was working on a Linux version of Steam and this had a lot of people in the Linux community very excited. But, Valve has now officially killed the rumor. And it is not what people wants to hear – there is no Linux version of Steam in development. Doug Lombardi, the Marketing VP of Valve Corporation, in an interview, has put an end to all the rumors by saying that they are not working on Steam for Linux right now."

Phoronix

[Anonymous Coward]

Your number one source on the web for wild speculation and misinformation in the linux world.

Confirmation

[Anonymous Coward]

they are not working on Steam for Linux right now.

This confirms they will be working on it later! I bet it'll be out in time to make 2011 the year of Linux on the desktop!

Re:Similar to what killed OS/2

[drinkypoo]

OS/2 2.x+ had excellent Windows compatability up to the Win32s API's, which gave many developers little reason to target it with native versions of their code.

You must have been running a different version of OS/2 2.1 than I was, where you had to install Windows 3.1 under OS/2 in order to GET that compatibility, and it further shit itself regularly.

There is no fanboy more tiresome than an OS/2 fanboy, and I say this as a former Amigan (I know, I know, I don't look like a newt.) Seriously, we're talking about a two-bit unfinished OS (well, it's good for embedded systems, but the GUI is a joke, I don't care how much you love the PM, it is seriously a featureless antique today) created by an evil corporation. I know I'm not the only one who remembers that the service contract for the holocaust management equipment (the concentration camp management computers) was serviced straight out of Armonk. How can you summon such enthusiasm for such a half-assed operating system? Just because it's stable if you never ever even use the GUI? I had a friend who even ran X on top of OS/2, and didn't run OS/2 apps. Fail, fail.

Serious gamers

[Anonymous Coward]

"Serious gamers" is a contradiction in terms (much like "law-abiding criminals"), so "dedicated gamers" might be a better term.

Re:Not ready as a gaming platform

[Anonymous Coward]

To begin with 99% of commercial games don't even have a Linux version, so there's nothing to sell to Linux gamers.

The same could be said of Macs. Part of what made Steam viable on the Mac was Valve porting a number of their games over to the Mac. And they could do it again for Linux if they wanted to...

Most Mac owners actually BUY software.

Only because they can't steal it from work.

Re:Excuse me?

[nedlohs]

As a linux user I will say his "holiness" Richard Stallman does not speak for me.

It's GNU/Linux you heathen scum!

Disappointment and rage

[McTickles]

Honestly, Valve is shooting itself in the foot, they do not see that the upcoming generation of gamers will be more and more interested in "alternative" OSes as they value quality and privacy (especially when they snap out of the Facebook and Twitter dreamland), which are two things Linux delivers (unlike "mainstream" OSes) Anyhow, Valve is going to lose customers over this, myself first, I would have paid for linux native games, and so far I was actually buying things from Steam even if I had to use Wine. Out of principle I will not even bother with Steam at all (on whatever platform). I'll donate my account to someone else possibly. I just dont have time to dick around with games that dont work natively on my OS, sorry Valve. Valve's attitude is even more surprising when you take into account that to make the OSX port they had to strip all Windows specific code and rewrite big chunks of the Source engine to OpenGL. I do not see what the big problem is with porting to linux now that the OpenGL/OSX port is done. Porting to linux would have also been great publicity for them as the "developer that supports alternatives", now they are just yet another "developer of 3D games for proprietary OSes". Yawn...

Re:Serious gamers

[L4t3r4lu5]

A very accurate synopsis! Now, i wonder if you could help me with a definition of the word "pedant." An example of a "pedant" in action may help.

(I'll take that tongue out of my cheek, now.)

Re:Serious gamers

[FatdogHaiku]

"law-abiding criminals"

Thanks for reminding me my state has primary elections tomorrow...

Re:I'm glad

[rovolo]

taking multiple dicks up the butt is not "serious business"

The porn industry would tend to disagree.